The richest people in the history of the world feel…..persecuted?

On Sunday there was an article in The Guardian from a Canadian named Stephen Marche talking about the America he once knew and the one he sees today (. What any of us see is subjective. However, an aspect that caught my eye was the perceived persecution of one group of Americans in this era. Could it be minorities? Or members of a targeted group such as trans people? People who struggle from paycheck to paycheck to support their family? No, to all those groups. The group that Marche is talking about are some of the richest people ever to live on this planet. The super rich. The billionaires. This portion of the article hits on a painful truth of this era of American history:

“The country clubs are rife with men and women, in incredible luxury, complaining bitterly about the state of the country. The richest and most powerful, the Americans who have won, who have everything, are still not happy, and why? Their answer is that the American dream must be broken. There is no one who feels more betrayed by the American dream than the world’s richest man. Why else do you think he’s out there with a chainsaw?

The American elites of the past 20 years have called their foremost principle freedom, but what they meant was impunity. That’s what the original slave masters built: a world where they could do whatever they wanted to whomever they wanted, without consequences. That’s what the techlords dream of today.”

I have never been in one of those gaudy country clubs that only the richest of our citizens frequent (on a weekly basis is your name starts with a “T” and ends with “rump”). Marche says it clearly, these people have “won” yet it isn’t enough. They can’t be made to feel they have “too much” or that they “should” pay “their fair share.” They should never be questioned about their business practices. They should be able to use insider knowledge to their advantage (just look at recent events with the market).

Whether in Washington, D.C. or Madison the next few months will involve discussions of at least one common issue: tax cuts for the rich. Republicans in Washington are trying to use any machination available to make sure that the Trump tax cuts of 2017 (that skewed wayyyyy towards the rich) are not only continued but even more favorable to the super rich. It’s been a multiyear and multi-budget battle for Republicans in Madison to make sure the budget surplus doesn’t go to education or child care or cleaning up our water supply or many other needed priorities for average working people in our state. Every dime needs to go to tax cuts. Not tax cuts for the lower earners either. Richard Uihlein and Diane Hendricks haven’t spent millions and millions of dollars supporting conservative politicians to have that surplus go to education did they? Or child care? No way. Yet, there are those who are not conservative or Republicans who will not fight for more fairness in the tax system.

The billionaire class, led by this country’s billionaire president and his billionaire cabinet secretary’s, think this country and it’s rich people have been “ripped off.” When it comes to their bank account, these people are the “winners”. Winners in ways no other people in the world’s history have won. Yet, as The Guardian piece says, they get together and moan about the country. How things used to be better. Why we need to “Make America Great Again”. Never ask them to do something for the country however. People who did nothing other than win the genetic lottery tell those who struggle to “get off the couch” or “stop playing video games” like they have any idea what those who don’t have 8 or 9 or 10 or more figure wealth totals have to deal with.

The irony is who have the least, in terms of their bank accounts, but the most to lose in their lives will fight the hardest. Some of the country’s richest law firms and universities have already surrendered. Yet, every week more and more people are fighting back. Those without country club memberships or gold cards. It’s a start.